As a disk drive, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) generally comprises a rotatable magnetic disk and a magnetic head (head) which reads/writes data with respect to the magnetic disk.
The magnetic head comprises a slider, and a head section provided in the slider, and the head section includes a reproduction element for reading and a recording element for writing. The slider includes a surface (air-bearing surface: ABS) opposing the recording surface of the magnetic disk. When the disk drive is in operation, an air flow is generated between the rotating magnetic disk and the slider, and a force (positive pressure) of flying the slider from the recording surface of the magnetic disk acts on the ABS of the slider by the principle of air fluid lubrication. By balancing the flying power and the head load, the slider is flying while maintaining a gap with respect to the recording surface of the magnetic disk.
In such a disk drive, if the inside of the drive is contaminated by dirt, dust, particles or the like, the contaminant is caught between the ABS of the slider and the surface of the magnetic disk, and the magnetic disk may be scratched. In order to reduce such damage, there have been proposed the so-called leading-fence ABS, in which a fence is provided in a leading portion of the slider, and a so-called particle-trap-hole ABS, in which the ABS and the step are formed to prevent a contaminant which has entered the disk from being caught therein.
However, in the former, the leading-fence ABS, the fence blocks inflow of air for maintaining the flying force of the slider, and thus the flying performance of the magnetic head degrades. Further, the leading-fence ABS can inhibit the entering of contaminants from the leading side, but contaminants can easily enter from the side of the slider.
The latter, the particle-trap-hole ABS has no such a structure to inhibit contaminants from entering, and therefore it is difficult to achieve the effect of preventing the catching of contaminants between the ABS and the disk surface if a contaminant enters from the side of the slider.